Obituary – Former international referee and CEV Supervisor Volker Schiemenz

The Volleyball family mourns the untimely and unexpected death of former international referee and CEV Supervisor Volker Schiemenz of Germany, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 65.

Schiemenz was involved in Volleyball for decades. When he moved to Lörrach from Swabia in the 1980s, he joined TuS Lörrach-Stetten as an active player and, a short time later, was at the helm of the Volleyball Department for eight years. In 1986 he took on his first official position in the Südbadischer Volleyball-Verband e.V. (SBVV), where he made himself available as relay leader of what was then the Hochrhein district league. But his real love was refereeing. In 1976, he acquired his first referee license and found an excellent Bundesliga referee and mentor in his coach Rolf Fenselau. This was motivation enough for him to also pursue a career as a referee. In 1993, he refereed a Bundesliga game for the first time and in 1998 he became an international referee. 

Volker Schiemenz loved travelling to other countries and brought not only great stories with him from every mission in the Champions League, the World League, or the European Championships, but also many new friendships. No distance was too far for him for Volleyball. After his last assignment as an international referee in 2014, Volker continued to work as a regional referee, operations manager, trainer, and observer at national and international level – and as a CEV Supervisor. He had already served as a member on the SBVV presidium for many years when he was elected SBVV President in Konstanz in 2016. He filled this position with exceptional commitment and passion. He led the association as a team player and represented the organisation at general meetings and celebrations of associations, clubs, and partners. 

Collaboration and communication at all levels were particularly important to him, so in 2022 he was elected Vice President of the German Volleyball Federation (DVV) as spokesman for the regional associations. His resignation in 2023, which he saw as inevitable, was particularly painful for him, who only ever cared about the sport of Volleyball. Volker Schiemenz received the highest honour with the DVV Badge of Honour in gold in July 2023. This award was accompanied by the DVV Badge of Honour in silver, the golden commemorative pin for 350 DVV international matches, the SBVV Badges of Honour in bronze, silver, and gold, as well as the Badges of Honour in bronze and silver from the Württemberg Volleyball State Association. 

Volker Schiemenz was someone who loved speaking openly and expected honest answers. He was a person you could absolutely rely on and leaves a big gap. Deepest condolences go out to his wife, his children, all family members, and friends.